15 Bible Verses about Barrenness

Most Relevant Verses

Psalm 107:34

and a fruitful land into a barren place, because of the sin of its inhabitants.

Joel 2:20

I will remove the one from the north far from you. I will drive him out to a dry and desolate place. Those in front will be driven eastward into the Dead Sea, and those in back westward into the Mediterranean Sea. His stench will rise up as a foul smell." Indeed, the Lord has accomplished great things.

Luke 13:6-9

Then Jesus told this parable: "A man had a fig tree planted in his vineyard, and he came looking for fruit on it and found none. So he said to the worker who tended the vineyard, 'For three years now, I have come looking for fruit on this fig tree, and each time I inspect it I find none. Cut it down! Why should it continue to deplete the soil?' But the worker answered him, 'Sir, leave it alone this year too, until I dig around it and put fertilizer on it.read more.
Then if it bears fruit next year, very well, but if not, you can cut it down.'"

Genesis 16:2

So Sarai said to Abram, "Since the Lord has prevented me from having children, have sexual relations with my servant. Perhaps I can have a family by her." Abram did what Sarai told him.

2 Samuel 6:23

Now Michal, Saul's daughter, had no children to the day of her death.

Exodus 23:26

No woman will miscarry her young or be barren in your land. I will fulfill the number of your days.

Deuteronomy 7:14

You will be blessed beyond all peoples; there will be no barrenness among you or your livestock.

Job 3:7

Indeed, let that night be barren; let no shout of joy penetrate it!

Isaiah 54:1

"Shout for joy, O barren one who has not given birth! Give a joyful shout and cry out, you who have not been in labor! For the children of the desolate one are more numerous than the children of the married woman," says the Lord.

Galatians 4:27

For it is written: "Rejoice, O barren woman who does not bear children; break forth and shout, you who have no birth pains, because the children of the desolate woman are more numerous than those of the woman who has a husband."

From Thematic Bible


Barrenness » Barrenness of soil as a result of sin

Genesis 4:12

When you try to cultivate the ground it will no longer yield its best for you. You will be a homeless wanderer on the earth."

Leviticus 26:20

Your strength will be used up in vain, your land will not give its yield, and the trees of the land will not produce their fruit.

Deuteronomy 11:17

Then the anger of the Lord will erupt against you and he will close up the sky so that it does not rain. The land will not yield its produce, and you will soon be removed from the good land that the Lord is about to give you.

Isaiah 5:10

Indeed, a large vineyard will produce just a few gallons, and enough seed to yield several bushels will produce less than a bushel."

Hosea 8:7

They sow the wind, and so they will reap the whirlwind! The stalk does not have any standing grain; it will not produce any flour. Even if it were to yield grain, foreigners would swallow it all up.

Barrenness » A reproach

Genesis 30:22-23

Then God took note of Rachel. He paid attention to her and enabled her to become pregnant. She became pregnant and gave birth to a son. Then she said, "God has taken away my shame."

1 Samuel 1:6-7

Her rival wife used to upset her and make her worry, for the Lord had not enabled her to have children. Peninnah would behave this way year after year. Whenever Hannah went up to the Lord's house, Peninnah would upset her so that she would weep and refuse to eat.

1 Samuel 2:1-11

Hannah prayed, "My heart rejoices in the Lord; my horn is exalted high because of the Lord. I loudly denounce my enemies, for I am happy that you delivered me. No one is holy like the Lord! There is no one other than you! There is no rock like our God! Don't keep speaking so arrogantly, letting proud talk come out of your mouth! For the Lord is a God who knows; he evaluates what people do. read more.
The bows of warriors are shattered, but those who stumble find their strength reinforced. Those who are well-fed hire themselves out to earn food, but the hungry no longer lack. Even the barren woman gives birth to seven, but the one with many children withers away. The Lord both kills and gives life; he brings down to the grave and raises up. The Lord impoverishes and makes wealthy; he humbles and he exalts. He lifts the weak from the dust; he raises the poor from the ash heap to seat them with princes and to bestow on them an honored position. The foundations of the earth belong to the Lord, and he has placed the world on them. He watches over his holy ones, but the wicked are made speechless in the darkness, for it is not by one's own strength that one prevails. The Lord shatters his adversaries; he thunders against them from the heavens. The Lord executes judgment to the ends of the earth. He will strengthen his king and exalt the power of his anointed one." Then Elkanah went back home to Ramah. But the boy was serving the Lord under the supervision of Eli the priest.

Isaiah 4:1

Seven women will grab hold of one man at that time. They will say, "We will provide our own food, we will provide our own clothes; but let us belong to you -- take away our shame!"

Luke 1:25

"This is what the Lord has done for me at the time when he has been gracious to me, to take away my disgrace among people."

Barrenness » Miraculously removed, instances of » Sarai

Genesis 17:15-21

Then God said to Abraham, "As for your wife, you must no longer call her Sarai; Sarah will be her name. I will bless her and will give you a son through her. I will bless her and she will become a mother of nations. Kings of countries will come from her!" Then Abraham bowed down with his face to the ground and laughed as he said to himself, "Can a son be born to a man who is a hundred years old? Can Sarah bear a child at the age of ninety?" read more.
Abraham said to God, "O that Ishmael might live before you!" God said, "No, Sarah your wife is going to bear you a son, and you will name him Isaac. I will confirm my covenant with him as a perpetual covenant for his descendants after him. As for Ishmael, I have heard you. I will indeed bless him, make him fruitful, and give him a multitude of descendants. He will become the father of twelve princes; I will make him into a great nation. But I will establish my covenant with Isaac, whom Sarah will bear to you at this set time next year."

Barrenness » Sent as a judgment

Genesis 20:17-18

Abraham prayed to God, and God healed Abimelech, as well as his wife and female slaves so that they were able to have children. For the Lord had caused infertility to strike every woman in the household of Abimelech because he took Sarah, Abraham's wife.

Barrenness » Miraculously removed, instances of » Hannah

1 Samuel 1:6-20

Her rival wife used to upset her and make her worry, for the Lord had not enabled her to have children. Peninnah would behave this way year after year. Whenever Hannah went up to the Lord's house, Peninnah would upset her so that she would weep and refuse to eat. Finally her husband Elkanah said to her, "Hannah, why do you weep and not eat? Why are you so sad? Am I not better to you than ten sons?" read more.
On one occasion in Shiloh, after they had finished eating and drinking, Hannah got up. (Now at the time Eli the priest was sitting in his chair by the doorpost of the Lord's temple.) She was very upset as she prayed to the Lord, and she was weeping uncontrollably. She made a vow saying, "O Lord of hosts, if you will look with compassion on the suffering of your female servant, remembering me and not forgetting your servant, and give a male child to your servant, then I will dedicate him to the Lord all the days of his life. His hair will never be cut." As she continued praying to the Lord, Eli was watching her mouth. Now Hannah was speaking from her heart. Although her lips were moving, her voice was inaudible. Eli therefore thought she was drunk. So he said to her, "How often do you intend to get drunk? Put away your wine!" But Hannah replied, "That's not the way it is, my lord! I am under a great deal of stress. I have drunk neither wine nor beer. Rather, I have poured out my soul to the Lord. Don't consider your servant a wicked woman, for until now I have spoken from my deep pain and anguish." Eli replied, "Go in peace, and may the God of Israel grant the request that you have asked of him." She said, "May I, your servant, find favor in your sight." So the woman went her way and got something to eat. Her face no longer looked sad. They got up early the next morning and after worshiping the Lord, they returned to their home at Ramah. Elkanah had marital relations with his wife Hannah, and the Lord remembered her. After some time Hannah became pregnant and gave birth to a son. She named him Samuel, thinking, "I asked the Lord for him.

Barrenness » Miraculously removed, instances of » Elisabeth

Luke 1:5-25

During the reign of Herod king of Judea, there lived a priest named Zechariah who belonged to the priestly division of Abijah, and he had a wife named Elizabeth, who was a descendant of Aaron. They were both righteous in the sight of God, following all the commandments and ordinances of the Lord blamelessly. But they did not have a child, because Elizabeth was barren, and they were both very old. read more.
Now while Zechariah was serving as priest before God when his division was on duty, he was chosen by lot, according to the custom of the priesthood, to enter the holy place of the Lord and burn incense. Now the whole crowd of people were praying outside at the hour of the incense offering. An angel of the Lord, standing on the right side of the altar of incense, appeared to him. And Zechariah, visibly shaken when he saw the angel, was seized with fear. But the angel said to him, "Do not be afraid, Zechariah, for your prayer has been heard, and your wife Elizabeth will bear you a son; you will name him John. Joy and gladness will come to you, and many will rejoice at his birth, for he will be great in the sight of the Lord. He must never drink wine or strong drink, and he will be filled with the Holy Spirit, even before his birth. He will turn many of the people of Israel to the Lord their God. And he will go as forerunner before the Lord in the spirit and power of Elijah, to turn the hearts of the fathers back to their children and the disobedient to the wisdom of the just, to make ready for the Lord a people prepared for him." Zechariah said to the angel, "How can I be sure of this? For I am an old man, and my wife is old as well." The angel answered him, "I am Gabriel, who stands in the presence of God, and I was sent to speak to you and to bring you this good news. And now, because you did not believe my words, which will be fulfilled in their time, you will be silent, unable to speak, until the day these things take place." Now the people were waiting for Zechariah, and they began to wonder why he was delayed in the holy place. When he came out, he was not able to speak to them. They realized that he had seen a vision in the holy place, because he was making signs to them and remained unable to speak. When his time of service was over, he went to his home. After some time his wife Elizabeth became pregnant, and for five months she kept herself in seclusion. She said, "This is what the Lord has done for me at the time when he has been gracious to me, to take away my disgrace among people."

Barrenness » Miraculously removed, instances of » Rebecca

Barrenness » Miraculously removed, instances of » Manoah's wife

Deserts » Illustrative of » Barrenness

Psalm 107:33

He turned streams into a desert, springs of water into arid land,

Psalm 107:35

As for his people, he turned a desert into a pool of water, and a dry land into springs of water.

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